The Original Skyline

6 comments

1. Very cool, thanks!

2. Ah yes, back when we could actually see the Royal York. Now it’s buried behind yet another forgettable ‘skyline enhancement’. Backdrop to the world’s most boring waterfront.

   Heh ho, way to go, Toronto..

3. That’s pretty good. I really love all of Alden’s work, but this is not the original skyline.

   This skyline is older:

   http://www.trha.ca/uploaded_images/post2-773113.jpg

   This skyline is closer to the original, I would guess:

   http://torontoproject.com/files/images/1793_Toronto_Harbour_002.jpg

   Too bad these aren’t all rendered from the same perspective. Wouldn’t it be something to lay each one on top of the other, and then selectively peel away swatches?

4. I’d say there is no such things as an original skyline. It’s always evolving.

5. I could not imagine there being much of a skyline from the islands pre-Royal York and the Bank of Commerce building. Although from one of the links above there looks to be a nice closer view of the water front and all the buildings. Thanks for the links! Maybe I should have named this one “Toronto’s Young Skyline”

6. There’s also the painting at the ROM, “View of the City of Toronto” which is a view from the island, c. 1850.

   Ack – direct link is awkward, but you can view it from http://images.rom.on.ca/public/index.php?function=home&sid=&ccid= and search by the title above.